4 Best Algae Eaters to Help You Keep Your Fish Tank Clean for Longer

There’s no denying the fact that keeping your fish tank aquarium clean is one of the hardest parts of keeping fish. It doesn’t matter what filter you’re using, what fish you have or what other extras you’re using to keep dirt and grime to a minimum, that dreaded algae always seem to find a way.
While the most effective way to get rid of it is by cleaning it yourself, one of the other most popular solutions is simply to introduce a type of aquarium species to your tank that thrives on eating the algae that grows.

While this doesn’t mean you won’t have to clean your tank whatsoever, these algae cleaners can save you time and keep your aquarium cleaner for longer.

Granted, there’re no ‘best’ algae eating species of animal, but there are a few species of fish and snail out there are perfect for getting the job done. While there are so important considerations like your tank size and what other fish you have in your tank; there are plenty of species that will be suitable.

Today, we’re going to explore four of these clean-up crew species. We’ve managed to narrow down what algae-eating species are out there, giving you the best idea of what to look for and what fish or animals can help you get the job done. We’ve taken everything into account from breed, species, price and, of course, the ability to eat algae, so let’s get right into it!

5 Ramshorn Snails Algae Eater Live Freshwater Aquarium Snail

To kickstart our list, we’ve chosen these awesome little Ramshorn Snails which are perfect for freshwater aquariums and extremely excellent at eating the algae from the walls of your tank, and the decorations on the inside.

With each purchase, you’ll have access to five individual snails which is ideal for tanks of all size. Of course, if you’ve got a smaller tank, five will do the job. If you have a large tank, you might need ten, but these snails are incredibly affordable so this isn’t going to break the bank.

What’s more, these snails love the leftover food that might fall to the bottom, which only helps to keep the tank clean and stops decomposing food from creating harmful nitrogen products You even get a collection of free moss with your delivery, since this helps the snails stay alive during transit.

While on the subject of delivery, each purchase is covered by the Live Arrival Guarantee. This means each snail will arrive alive. Otherwise, you’ll be entitled to a replacement to be sent out at no extra cost for yourself; guaranteeing you get the best snails for your tank.

In short, these are a great addition to any kind of aquarium you may have in your home or office. If you’re looking for an affordable algae eater that’s low maintenance and does exactly what it’s supposed to do, you may not need to look further than these!

PRO

These snails love eating algae and leftover fish food

Free moss with every order

Live Arrival Guarantee

Five individual snails per purchase

CONS

None!

Golden Mystery Snail Algae Eaters for Aquariums

If you’re looking for something a little bit more special to add to your aquarium tank, the Golden Mystery Snail in a vibrant and effective option that you’re going to love. In addition to the beautiful yellow color of these snails, they are also capable of growing up to 2-inches long, which makes them ideal for larger tanks and noticeable among your foliage and ornaments.

These are a sight to behold and an excellent addition to any aquarium of any size. Of course, these snails are ideal for cleaning up the algae in your tank and will eat pretty much all kinds of fish food that may have floated to the bottom of your tank; minimizing the risk of damage that leftover feed can create.

In addition to ground waste, these snails will clean the sides, the plants, and even the rocks of your tank, giving it an all-around clean to help prolong the intervals between your cleaning times. What’s more, these snails are completely suitable to live alongside all kinds of other fish, plant life and shrimps you may have in your tank, ensuring there’s no problems or stress created within your aquarium.

These snails are really clean once they arrive and shells will be undamaged. In short, these snails will be happy and healthy, and ready to go as soon as they arrive! You’ll even have access to the Live Arrival Guarantee to ensure quality. However, make sure you order at the right time of year because the company won’t cover damages or fatalities if they packages are being delivered in extreme temperatures.

PRO

Golden snails for adding a new variety of color to your aquarium

Can grow up to 2-inches long

Come with a Live Arrival Guarantee

Get all well with all other kinds of fish and plant life

CONS

Guarantee doesn’t cover extreme temperatures

10 Malaysian Trumpet Snails Algae Eaters

If you’re looking for affordable quantity with the snails you buy, perhaps because you want to liven up your aquarium, or you just have a larger tank with more surface area to cover, this is perhaps the best selection of snails you should be looking at.

With this purchase, you’ll find 10 or more Malaysian Trumpet snails which are renowned for their algae eating properties. These little beauties are ideal in freshwater tanks and will consistently work day in, day out, to clean the algae from the sides of your tanks, off your decorations and off the floor.

Of course, these snails are also incredibly safe to have in your tank and won’t cause any problems with the other species of fish or animals you may own. What’s more, these snails are incredibly affordable, so they won’t break the bank. They’re far less expensive than a filter, and a lot more entertaining to watch!

With these awesome little snails, what you see is what you get. All the snails will arrive alive, and there’s next to no reports of them not making the transit journey. However, there doesn’t seem to be a guarantee to protect you from this. However, you may get a few extra included for free!

PRO

Most orders come with a few free snails included

Super affordable price for ten or so snails

Completely safe to have in your freshwater tank with other fish and plant life

• Love eating algae, waste, and leftover food

CONS

No Live Arrival Guarantee

5+ Bright Red Ramshorn Snails

Of course, we’ve already mentioned the Ramshorn Snail in the first entry of our best-of list; however, if you’re looking to add an extra splash of color to your aquarium setup, these bright red Ramshorn snails may be the perfect addition you’ve been looking for.

With each purchase, you’ll have ownership for five brand-new snails, each arriving in the best possible undamaged condition alive and well. To keep you covered, each purchase is covered by the Live Arrival Guarantee!

What we love the most about these snails is the fact they only seem to eat algae. This is obviously great for keeping your tank clean, but it also means they won’t be eating any of the plant life you have in your tank; ensuring your aquarium will also look its best.

Furthermore, these snails are extremely multi-functional. This is because they can breed so easily in freshwater environments, which means give or take a year, you’ll have a lot more snails on your hands.

Of course, if you don’t want the snails, you can simply remove them, put them in another tank, or give them to a friend. On the other hand, these snails also make great live food for starter colonies of some fish species such as puffers, which is perfect for giving those fish the best start in life with the healthiest most natural food possible!

All in all, it’s easy to see that these are one of the most beneficial algae-eating snails out there, and it’s easy to see why they’re so popular on today’s market. While these snails tend to be a bit more expensive than your typical snails like the ones we’ve listed above, we’re sure you’ll agree they are completely worth it in every sense!

PRO

Can reproduce easily in freshwater aquariums

Can be used as tank cleaners or as food for fish

Protected by a Live Arrival Guarantee

Each purchase comes with five bright red snails to bring your tank to life

CONS

A bit more expensive than other algae-eating snail solutions

Summary

It goes without saying that there are plenty of algae eaters out there just waiting to help you keep your tank clean to the highest possible quality. Every single one of the algae eaters we’ve listed above makes a great choice, and there’s no denying that these are some of the best available.

With all this in mind, all you need to do now is pick the algae eaters you like the best and will best suit your tank, and you’ll be ready to keep your tank cleaner than it’s ever been before!